Updated
16 August 2019

Updated
16 August 2019
Updated
16 August 2019
Updated
12 January 2019
 

To see full descriptions : click each photo
THE NEXT WALK, AUGUST 28, IS THE SOUP WALK. PLEASE RSVP
ALSO REMEMBER TO WEAR YOUR NAME TAG WITH YOUR EMERGENCY CONTACT DETAILS
PLEASE RECORD YOUR APOLOGIES ONLINE
14 August 2019
Cobaw State Forest A cold overcast sky accompanied us as we started the walk in the Cobaw Forest. Care was needed to safely navigate the muddy, badly eroded, sections of track, as we climbed steadily. After leaving the track we enjoyed a good old "bush bash" to the top of the ridge and then along the ridge through the rugged rock strewn landscape. Interesting views from the site of the old fire spotting tower. I am reliably informed the outlook matches the outlook description of Terrible Hollow, the hiding place of Dick Marston and his brother, in Robbery under Arms. It was an enjoyable and challenging day in the forest.
Thank you Brier and Pam for leading and Keith for providing the technology back up for any directional uncertainties.
 
 
 
 
31 July 2019
Up and Down Track A gorgeous winter's day in Central Victoria, to tackle the, most aptly named, Up and Down Track. There may have been a chill in the air when we set off from the junction with Green Gully Road, but a couple of climbs later, we were shedding layers of clothing. Keith kept us moving at a solid clip for the 10 km walk through the Upper Loddon State Park. It was a thoroughly enjoyable, slightly longer and more testing, 5th Wednesday of the month walk.
Thanks and a good choice Keith.
 
 
24 July 2019 Walmer Forest
A lovely mild winters day, after the fog lifted, in the Walmer Forest. Pleasant 6 km walk, with dappled sun highlighting early blossoms on Golden Wattles. Hot drinks and freshly made scones at Chez Wiglesworth, to finish. Thanks Bill and Deb, for leading an enjoyable walk and providing a surprise late morning tea.
 
 
10 July 2019 Mt Alexander
21 walkers enjoyed this local walk very close to Castlemaine. After a steep start to the walk, the gradient was very kind on our knee joints. The rays of sunshine provided some warmth on an otherwise cold winter's day. Thanks Tricia and Bryan
 
 
 
 
26 June 2019
Tarilta Gorge 10 walkers completed the annual Tarilta Gorge walk. We lost count of the creek crossings. The weather was perfect and we didn’t get lost!
Thanks Greg (aka Tarilta George)
 
 
 
 
 

12 June 2019
Paddy’s Ranges Maryborough. A small group of seven intrepid walkers completed a walk north and west of Castlemaine. We'd had a short discussion at the Octopus and decided not to attempt the planned walk near Maryborough given the forecast rain, wind, and lightning. Fortunately for us, Jules Hurley knows Castlemaine really well so we parked at the Botanical Gardens and completed a loop walk in gentle rain along tracks that passed the magnificent Lower Widecombe (hand built by a very talented artisan without the use of power tools), Merryfield, and ending at Das Kaffehaus.

 
 

29 May 2019 Trentham Walk We cancelled our Greg’s planned walk. Heavy(ish) rain had made the access tracks impassable for sedans and that's all we had. Even Greg was in a little car having put 85 litres of petrol into the diesel Disco. Not a happy camper. So we walked around Kalimna Park and got to the Dove early.

22 May 2019 The Annual Rogaine. We had a great Rogaine and the team that went missing returned to camp (or where the camp had been) after a few days. They claimed that control 26 was missing but I assured them that it was to the East - not West - of the Gisborne Railway Station. The Tricia Annual Trophy was awarded to Ron's team - who else?

8 May 2019
Breakneck Gorge to Chocolate Mill. Daylesford What a great day for one of our Classic walks: cold; the smell of misty rain on recently burnt forest; slippery narrow paths; blackberries re-growing as you watched; a would-be participant enjoying a casual drive to Creswick and expecting to meet us at the Chocolate Mill and now expecting to navigate in the rogaine!!; another incurring an automatic four game suspension by deliberately headbutting a car door, taking a dive and then protesting she'd been provoked; and to end the day, everyone enjoying litres of hot chocolate slurped from small baths.
Thanks John.
 
 
 
 
24 April
Coliban Channel Taradale.
L.O.L Engineering. Dear Sir/Madam. Sadly your application to construct the water channel between Taradale and Elphinstone has been unsuccessful. Not having your section of the channel connect to either end of the existing water course but instead to instead to go out and back was seen as likely to compromise the fundamental purpose of the project. You might also note that your access instructions led our inspection team to Elsternwick which does sound similar but the scenic detour caused them to be late back to the office and miss our regular knees-up.
Yours sincerely,
Management Team.
(Thanks Lol and Geoff)
 
 
 
 
10 April 2019
Muckleford
A cold morning and a 9 am start (daylight saving over) saw 28 walkers drive to the Muckleford State Forest, down the Red White and Blue Track to park at the junction with Water Res Track, where Greg joined us. The walk followed the RW&B Track and Dunn’s Track to the Dunn’s Reef mine site, with its spectacular open cut into the hillside. We then headed east off track for about 1 km to join Talbot Track, passing areas where DELWP has thinned the forest and domestic firewood was being collected. Talbot Track becomes Muckleford School Rd by a large farm dam, where we took Bell’s Lane Track to the Red White & Blue mine picnic area for a well earned morning tea. After checking out the deep mineshaft under the poppet head (from the Deborah United mine in Bendigo), we followed the RW&B Track back to the cars.
Thanks Peter.
 
 
 
 

13 March 2019
Lerderderg River Heritage Walk. Blackwood. Circuit
Hello walkers Another great walk that tested stamina and imagination. Stamina in that while one GPS app registered 9.1 km, another read 9.7. I did the longer one. Imagination related to what the area would be like with water. (Lerdergerg is a surveyor's spelling error. The surveyor meant to write Nancy Creek. Close...)
Thanks Keith

 
 
 
 
27 February 2019
What a great job Alan did for us at Fryerstown. 41 participants is a world record!! And coffee laid on from Melanie's Gaggia machine!! At the cemetery, however, one couldn't help but reflect on the last days of Elizabeth Smart and her tiny children: the field's frenzied clamour; the screams of babies and young children; the keening of desperate mothers; the shouts of angry drunks and men whose 3 metre square claims had been infringed; the smell of sewage and smoke and sweat. Bedlam. (P.S. The vaccination was for smallpox.) The walk was an excellent experience.
Thanks Alan for leading walk and Melanie for the coffee and cake at the Fryers Tea House.
 
 
 
 
13 February 2019
Ajax Mine. 35 excited Bushwalkers joined the early morning 8am and 8 degrees start. Jules and Rex lead us on a tour around the Ajax mine not far from Campbells Creek. Jules and Rex really do know a lot about the hidden gems in and around Castlemaine. If you would like to see inside the mine go to this youtube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmIzuOz4tzU
Thanks Jules and Rex.
 
 
       
January 30 2019
Castlemaine Well done to Gerry and his pacemakers for this morning's walk! It was certainly one for the CV. All finishers automatically qualify for front row seats should Red Faces ever make a return to TV. (Note to self: attach wheels to Esky before 13 February.)
Thanks Gerry.